Watershedding garment



March 30, 1937. R. M. STEPHENS ET AL A2,075,238

WATEHSHEDDING GARMENT Filed Oct. 30, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY I March 30, 1937.` R. M. STEPHENS ET AL 2,075,238

WATERSHEDDING GARMENT Filed oct. 5o, 1935 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTORS RAM! magP/M yew 4 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 30, 1937 I" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE York Application October 30, 1935, Serial No. 47,352

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved watershedding garment, the principal object of the invention being to provide an emergency garment in the form of a seamless cape made of a single piece of moisture-resisting material, which cape is form-fitting, light in weight, compact, and extremely reasonable in cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blank and a method of folding and securing the same thereby to form a cape of the character set forth.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings accompanying this specifica- 15 tion,

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating in front elevation a cape constructed in accordance with the present invention and draped around the gure of a man;

Fig. 2 illustrates a rear view of the cape draped on the ligure of a woman;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the blank from which the cape is formed illustrating in broken lines the lines along which the material of the blank is folded in order to produce the formfitting effect.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the entire blank; and

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive are fragmentary views illustrating successive steps in the folding or creasing of the blank to form the completed cape.

The idea underlying the invention is the production of an emergency garment for protection of the clothing of the wearer during a shower and which garment may be discarded after having served its purpose. To carry this idea into eect it is of course necessary that the garment be capable of being produced at a minimum cost. However, in order that the garment be practical the material must be moisture resisting, capable of being folded into a small neat package, and must possess sufcient exibility to permit it to retain its form-fitting shape. We have found a grade of paper treated to render it moisture resisting to a substantial degree and in other ways is admirably suited for the purpose, since it can be obtained in such width that the cape can be formed from a single piece thus eliminating seams and waste of material, thereby materially reducing the cost of production.

Referring to the drawings, I designates a blank of suitable shape for the formation of the cape. That is to say, the blank is narrower at its top than at the lower end. At its top edge the blank 55 is turned over at the center portion along a line 2 thereby to form a collar 3 when the cape is completed. Two series of positioning marks or holes "l, 5, 6, 1, 8, 9, I0, II, are disposed at opposite sides of the center line of the blank at 60 varying distances from its upper edge as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, for locating the folds or creases to be given the material in order toproduce a cape with form-fitting shoulders and lapels.

The blank, marked as above indicated may be draped around a dummy or dressmakers model and temporarily pinned thereon. The material at each side of the center line is then folded along the lines I2, I3, I4, I5 and I 6 successively in opposite directions, thereby bringing the positioning marks or holes 4, 5, 6, 1, 8 and 9 into superposed relation and the marks Ill and II into alinement. The resulting layers of material are then secured to each other, preferably by a staple, rivet or thread passing through the positioning marks, 4 to 9 inclusive, although the same result could be obtained by the use of glue, cement or other adhesive substance for securing the successive layers in superposed relation, using the marks only as position guides. A simple fastening device, preferably with an enlarged head Il may be passed through the marks I, I I as an additional means for holding down the lapel along the line I6, the heads Il also affording means for attaching a cord I8 `for holding the front of the cape together, as shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 8.

While We have pointed out herein certain position marks to be placed on the blank and the latter folded along certain lines to bring those marks into superposed alinement, itis to be understood that the specific locations of the respective marks herein disclosed are chosen because in our opinion they lend themselves to the formation of a cape that is perfectly form-fitting at the shoulders, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. However, it is to be understood that we do not intend to limit our invention to the precise lines of fold herein described, as we are aware that the blank may be folded in many other ways to close the top over the shoulders without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is also to be understood that the cape will be produced in a variety of sizes to t persons of different builds.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

A temporary water-resisting cape, comprising a one-piece blank of isosceles trapezoidal form and folded upon itself along the center portion near its shorter parallel edge to form a collar and at its opposite side edges to form lapels, and a plurality of folds at opposite ends of the collar, forming shoulder-fitting portions, all of the folds at each end of the collar being held together at a single point.

RUSSELL M. STEPHENS. JENNINGS C. BROWN. 

